[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E250-E251]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other 
     departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes:

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Chair, I rise today to oppose the drastic and 
reckless cuts my colleagues in the Majority have included in H.R. 1. 
This legislation includes cuts that will destroy jobs, pollute our 
environment, damage our schools, threaten public safety and impact 
nearly every aspect of our economy. They will not strengthen our 
nation, they will negatively impact our natural resources and inhibit 
future generation's ability to compete and innovate in the global 
economy.
  Specifically, H.R. 1 would reduce NOAA's operating budget by more 
than $450 million dollars, severely diminishing NOAA's ability to 
protect marine ecosystems, manage our nation's fisheries and provide 
weather monitoring data to weather sensitive industries. In addition, 
it will cut programs that provide life-saving services in every state 
and district. These irresponsible cuts will jeopardize thousands of 
jobs, threaten public safety and have lasting effects on our national 
and regional economies.
  Of particular concern to coastal regions like Guam, are threats to 
coral reef ecosystems and the fisheries and tourism industries they 
support. The US commercial fisheries industry alone accounts for more 
than $100 billion in annual sales and supports 1.5 million jobs, while 
the coastal recreation and tourism industry serves as one of the 
nation's largest employers. These industries are critical to the long-
term economic success of coastal regions however they are significantly 
threatened by coral reef degradation due to pollution, and climate 
change. Without healthy coral reefs, fishery levels plummet, and 
tourism declines.
  Reducing NOAA's operating budget will further jeopardize these 
important industries. Without sufficient funding, NOAA cannot 
adequately protect our coral reef resources and could be forced to 
reduce public access to National Marine Sanctuaries and other 
recreational areas. In addition, H.R. 1 would significantly deteriorate 
NOAA's law enforcement abilities against illegal, unregulated and 
unreported fishing. The weakening of these programs would cause both 
immediate and long term job losses within the commercial fisheries and 
tourism industries. I strongly oppose all proposed cuts to NOAA's 
operating budget, it is too important to our economy and preserving our 
marine resources for future generations.
  Another reckless cut included in H.R. 1 is more than $217 million to 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and 
Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA provides critical grants to universities 
around the nation, supporting food and agriculture research promoting 
economic growth and environmental protections. The research yields 
national value and is especially significant to food security, 
nutritional health, and increased agricultural production.
  Specifically important to Guam, is the Tropical and Subtropical 
Research program, T-STAR. In 2010, the T-STAR program supported 46 
research projects at the University of Florida, the University of 
Hawaii, the University of Puerto Rico, the University Guam, the 
University of the Virgin Islands, and at American Samoa Community 
College. These projects are critical to sustainable agriculture, pest 
control, and disease research. Funds provided by T-STAR are leveraged 
by a commitment of local resources, further improving public health, 
protecting agro-ecosystems, and saving taxpayer dollars over time. They 
offer a high yield on investment and funding for the NIFA and T-STAR 
programs should be made a priority. I strongly oppose the majority's 
irresponsible cuts to these programs.

[[Page E251]]



                          ____________________